# What is the Swiss Cheese Model in industrial cyber security?

- Link: https://www.agilicus.com/faq/what-is-the-swiss-cheese-model-in-industrial-cyber-security/
- Published: 2026-05-11T15:52:56+00:00
- Author: Don Bowman

The Swiss Cheese Model is a defensive strategy where multiple, distinct layers of
security are stacked to ensure that no single point of failure leads to a systemic
breach. Each layer, whether it is a network boundary, an identity control, or system
hardening, has inherent flaws, much like the holes in Swiss cheese. By ensuring 
these layers are orthogonal and diverse, an adversary who bypasses one layer is 
still blocked by the next, significantly reducing the overall risk to operational
technology environments. You can learn more about how this applies to modern infrastructure
in our [pragmatic blueprint for industrial cyber security](https://www.agilicus.com/a-pragmatic-blueprint-for-industrial-cyber-security/).

For more information, see [Industrial Cyber Security Best Practices](https://www.agilicus.com/white-papers/industrial-cyber-security-best-practices/).